Bosses slam council over 'unsafe' final

PUB and club owners have accused council chiefs of 'glaring' double standards over the handling of football fans during the Uefa cup final. Manchester Pub and Club Network has criticised town hall bosses for overlooking street drinking, rowdiness and poor trading practice in off licences and supermarkets, where they say drunk fans were being served on match day.

PUB and club owners have accused council chiefs of 'glaring' double standards over the handling of football fans during the Uefa cup final.

Manchester Pub and Club Network has criticised town hall bosses for overlooking street drinking, rowdiness and poor trading practice in off licences and supermarkets, where they say drunk fans were being served on match day.

Members say they would face being closed down if they behaved the same way.

A report into the May 14 final between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg found evidence of anti-social behaviour eight hours before kick-off at the City of Manchester Stadium. Violence broke out in Piccadilly Gardens after a big screen due to show the match broke down, triggering running battles between Rangers fans and police.

The pub and club network said capacity numbers at key sites were `unsafe and unmanageable' and has slammed the fixture as a 'very unprofessional and badly managed council-run event'.

Network

The network expressed its concerns in a letter to council leader Sir Richard Leese. Chairman Phil Burke said: "We are all exasperated and infuriated at the constant enforcement of unrealistic and unfair noise pollution issues.

"Yet during the Rangers game, the council itself decided - and indeed pre-planned - to completely and utterly ignore its own rules."

The network said that despite operating responsibly, its members had been penalised - they lost out on valuable trade after police and council leaders refused a Manchester United Champions League victory parade, citing public safety concerns. Many claim the the Rangers unrest influenced the decision.

Sir Richard said: "The events of May 14 were unprecedented. . . however, many elements in the planning and delivery worked well and we received positive feedback from many external agencies, including Uefa. Clearly there are lessons learned, but the ability of the city to cater for large-scale events in the future should not be in question."